Device for filling containers with liquids



Nov. 30, 1937.

DEVICE s. SAETA FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUIDS Filed Nov. 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Nov. 30, 1937. s SAETA DEVICE FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1955 FIG. I 3.

INVENTOR SAMUEL S4574 .\w :IIIIIIIIIIIIL 4 TI'ORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFECE BEVKCE FOR FILLENG CONTAINERS WITH LIQUIDS 15 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for filling bottles, cans or other containers with liquids, such, for example, as medicinal or toilet compounds and, particularly, viscous or semi-liquid substances; and it has for its object the production of a machine for that purpose which is simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, efficient, reliable and accurate in operation and which is capable of a large output of filled containers per unit of time. The machine is substantially automatic in its operation, requiring only that containers be supplied it for filling and removed from it after they have been filled. To increase the output, a plurality of containers are 5 filled at each operation, the liquid being supplied by a plurality of force pumps, one for each container. The containers are carried in an elongated carrier which is made in sections, each of which is provided with a series of alined sockets in which the containers are loosely seated. These sections may contain any desired number of sockets. Since the machine shown is designed for filling six containers at a single operation, the carrier sections, which are all alike, should have six or a multiple of six sockets. Preferably, eighteen sockets are provided in each section. This, however, would depend upon the size of 'the individual containers. At the end of a filling operation the section carrying the six containers whichhave just been filled is automatically moved longitudinally to bring the next succeeding set of six containers into position to be filled, means being provided for arresting the carrier with the filling apertures of the containers in register with the nozzles of the filling devices.

While, as provided by law, I have shown a machine having certain details of construction, I realize that these details may be modified and I desire it to be understood that the claims hereof are not intended to be limited thereto any farther than their express terms require.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a front elevation of the invention, certain parts being broken away forclearness of illustration; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking toward the left; Fig. 3 is a similar View on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking toward the right; Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line i l of Fig. 1, looking toward the left; Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking 50 toward the left in Fig. 1, parts being broken away; Fig. 6 is an elevation showing a detail; Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken through Fig. 6 on the line 7-! thereof; Fig. 8 is a cross-section through one of the carrier members on the line '55 8-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the means for releasing the carrier preparatory to feeding it longitudinally; Fig. 10 illustrates a detail; Fig. 11 is a horizontal section through the carrier on line H-ll of Fig. 12 showing the means for attaching the sections together; Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the carrier shown in Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 illustrates another detail showing means for holding the carrier down while feeding.

The machine is mounted on any suitable sup- 10 port It) and at any desired height. At its ends are two upright frame members H and 12 which support, at their upper ends, a transverse frame member l3. Adjacent the left-hand end of this member, as viewed in Fig. 1, is a suitable prime mover, preferably an electric motor, as shown at I 4. This motor is provided with a pulley, over which passes a belt l5. Supported upon the frame at or adjacent the end opposite the motor is an upright spindle l6 upon which two pulleys H and [8 are journaled. These pulleys are spaced apart a distance which is substantially equal to the diameter of another pulley IS, on a shaft 20 which extends longitudinally from the casing 2| of a set of reduction gears, not shown. The pulleys ll and 18 are at a right angle to the pulley l9 and the belt I5 passes about all of them, as best seen in Fig. 5. The reduction gearing within the casing 2| is conventional. It connects the shaft 20 with another shaft 22 which projects horizontally from the casing, both shafts being suitably journaled therein. Whereas the shaft 26 rotates at a high speed, the shaft 22 turns at a slow speed. Secured to the shaft 22 and turning with it is a crank-disk 23 having a. plurality of threaded apertures 24 at varying distances from the shaft. A pitman 25 is attached to the disk by a bolt 26 which extends through it and into one of the apertures in the disk. By changing the bolt from one aperture to another, the throw of the pitman will be varied, as will be understood. At its lower end, the pitman is pivotally connected to the center of an elongated horizontal bar 21, whereby the bar is moved sidewise up and down as the shaft 22 is rotated.

'28 designates a pipe through which the fluid for the containers is supplied. The fluid may be pumped through the pipe but, preferably and as shown, the pipe extends upwardly so that the liquid may be drawn by gravity from some suitable source of supply. The flow of the liquid through the pipe may be regulated by a valve 29. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of the pipe is connected with a tank 30, the bottom wall of which is designated 3|. The liquid flows into the tank through the pipe 28, and any overflow may escape through a pipe 32 which extends through the bottom wall and rises within the tank to the desired height. However, the valve 29 will be so set that, in the normal and continuous operation of the machine, there will be no overflow.

The tank 3t extends longitudinally of the machine substantially from one upright frame member, I I, to the other, I2. Alined longitudinally within the tank and extending through the bottom 3|, is a series of cylinders 33 having their lower ends closed, except as hereinafter stated. The cylinders are identical in structure, the details of which are best shown in Fig. 4. The tank is closed by a cover 34 which is secured in position in any suitable way. The cylinders extend up- .wardly within the tank almost to the cover and downwardly below the tank almost an equal distance. Through the cylinder walls just-above the tank bottom are a series of apertures 35, each aperture having a slot 36 extending upwardly therefrom almost but not quite to the top of the cylinder. The cylinders, of course, have liquidtight connections with the bottom of the tank. The liquid flows into the cylinders through the I said apertures and slots and fills them up to the level of the liquid Within the tank. Reciprocable within each cylinder is a piston 31 which is attached to a piston-rod 38. These rods extend upwardly, passing through the tank cover 34 and, as shown in Fig. 1, connect with the bar 21 which serves as an operating means common to all the pistons. To steady the piston-rods, they are passed through a bar 39 which overlies the tank cover, being secured thereto in any suitable manner. The upper ends of the piston rods are screwthreaded and are provided with nuts on opposite sides of the bar Z'l whereby the pistons may be separately adjusted to the same height with respect to the bar and to their respective cylinders. Secured to each piston rod is a disk All which fits Within the cylinder and moves with the piston, said disk being spaced from the piston to guide the latter. As shown in Fig. 4:, the disk is substantially at the top of the cylinder and its hub in substantial contact with the cover plate 34. That is its position when the piston is at the upper end of its stroke and the bar 2? at its most elevated position irrespective of the length of stroke of the piston. To make that possible, the pitman is provided with a plurality of holes ii which correspond in number and position with the apertures in the disk 23. When the bolt 26 is changed from one aperture to another it is passed through the corresponding hole in the pitman. In Fig. 10 I have shown the disk and the upper end of the pitman and have indicated by dotted lines the corresponding apertures 24 and holes 4|. By this arrangement, the pistons always start on their power strokes from the same position in the cylinders; but the lengths of such strokes depend upon the particular aperture 24 that is utilized which, in turn, depends upon the capacities of the containers being filled.

Leading out from the lower end of each of the cylinders 33 is a delivery pipe 42 which is extended upwardly and is telescopically connected with a pipe @211. which is extended forwardly and then downwardly, being provided on its end with a nozzle 43 through which the liquid is forced as the pistons descend on their working strokes. This telescopic connection is provided in order that the nozzles may be adjusted in a vertical direction to accommodate containers of different heights. In order that the nozzles may be moved together and to the same height, the pipes 42a are preferably connected together, as by an overlying member 43a to which they are attached in any suitable way. The member 43a may be moved vertically by handor through any suitable mechanical means.

Rigidly supported upon the machine frame and extending forwardly from below the tank 30 are arms 44 to which is attached a long horizontal track member 45. Secured to this member are a pair of angle bars 45, the upwardly-extending flanges of which are so spaced that they, with the member 45 form a channel within which the carrier 4'! for the containers may slide longitudinally. This carrier is made in detachable sections in endto-end relation, the sections being attached together as the machine is operated to bring a series of empty containers into line for feeding from the nozzles. The sections may be of any practical length but, as stated, are preferably long enough to carry eighteen containers each. Each section is provided in 'its upper side with a series of alined sockets 48 in each of which is a container to be filled. Thesecontainers may be of any desired size, shape or material, the drawings showing bottles 49. Below each of the sockets, and coaxial therewith, is a bore 50 which extends from the socket through the bottom of the carrier section. When a section is in position to bring a set of its containers to filling position, the bores below that set are registered with similar bores through the track member 45, as shown in Fig. 4. Through these bores pins 5i are adapted to move up and down to raise the containers into filling position and to lower them after they have been filled. Fig. 1 shows the containers lifted. In Fig. 4 the full lines show a container in its lowered position with the lifting pin 5! below the carrier section 4?. or are indicated in their raised positions. The pins are rigidly supported upon a horizontal lifting bar 52 which is connected midway its length with a lever 53, fulcrumed at Ma near the rear of the machine. Normally, the lever is in its raised position, being so held by a tensioned spring 54, and is pushed down by a link 55 which is pivoted to it and is extended upwardly to a lever 56 to the front end of which it is pivoted (Figs. 2 and 3). This lever is extended in a generally horizontal direction beneath the shaft 22 and is provided with an anti-friction roller 5'! which rolls against the perimeter of a cam 58 on said shaft, being held thereagainst by the spring 54. The cam is closely adjacent the disk 23, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be attached thereto or made integral therewith if desired. This contiguity of the disk and cam brings the pitman 25 and the link 55 almost in fore-and-aft alinement, as shown, the link being broken away in part in Fig. 1 the better to show the pitrnan behind it. As will be understood, when the roller 5'! is contacting with the low part of the cam, the pins 5i are raised to lift the containers into filling position. The high part of the cam forces the pins down against the tension of the spring 54 and frees them from the carrier t! so that it may be shifted to bring its next set of containers below the nozzles 43.

In Figs. 11 and 12, two abutting sections, 41a and Nb, of the carrier iii are shown with the means now preferred for holding the sections rigidly but detachably together and in alinement. This means comprises a pair of plates. 5% and Gt, one being attached to one side of sec- In dotted lines the pin and containtion 41a and the other to the opposite side of section 41b. These plates extend beyond the ends of their respective sections and are turned inwardly at their ends to engage in vertical grooves 6! in the sides of the sections. The section 411) is attached to section (1 by simply dropping it into the trough-shaped track for the carrier with the inturned ends of the plates in the respective grooves 5!. The track members 45 and 46 hold the sections in alinement. The grooves 6| extend entirely across the side faces of the sections and the section Ma can be removed when its containers are filled by simply raising it from its track, thereby disengaging the plates 59 and 60 from the grooves. In Fig. 1, the connection between the sections 41a and 41b is shown just at the right of the last container which is being filled. The six containers shown are the last set in the carrier section Ma. The next movement of the carrier will bring the first set of containers in section 4112 into filling position. The means for moving the carrier and arresting it will now be described.

On the shaft 22 is secured a spur-gear 63 which meshes with a similar gear 5 on a shaft 65 which extends horizontally to the right from said gears and projects beyond the frame member l2. On its end is a bevel-gear 66 which meshes with a similar but smaller gear 61 on a vertical shaft 68 which is journaled in brackets 69 on the main frame. Splined to the lower end of the shaft 68 is a bevel-gear H3 having a hub H, said shaft and hub having registering key-ways for a key 12. The hub and gear are pushed downwardly by a helical spring 13 which surrounds the shaft and is compressed between the hub and a collar It on the shaft. This spring holds the gear is in mesh with a smaller gear which is fastened to a horizontal shaft 15. This latter shaft extends forwardly and has secured to it a feed-roller '12. The shaft is mounted for bodily movement in a vertical direction in slots l8 formed in a pair of spaced brackets is depending'from the track-rail 45 of the carrier frame. When the shaft is lifted, the perimeter of the roller Ti is brought into frictional driving contact with the lower side of the carrier section above it. Owing to the differences in size of the bevel gears 66-451 and Til-18, the rotational speed of the shaft 16 is substantially four times that of the shaft 65.

, This is desirable because of the very great reducticn of the gears within the casing 2| and the slow speed imparted to shaft 22. As is obvious, the desired speed of the shaft H5 could be obtained by changing the ratios of the gears in the casing 2|, but as the casing with its contained reduction gearing is made and sold as a unit and the one which I have employed gives a speed to the shaft 22 which is too slow for the shaft '35- and the roller ll, I prefer to accelerate the latter by using the sets of bevel gearing substantially as shown. As the roller is moved up and down, the bevel gears if! and 15. are maintained in mesh by the spring I3. The roller is moved through a yoke 86 which has upwardly extending arms at the ends of the roller in which the shaft 16 is journaled. The yoke is pivoted to the forward end of a lever 83 which is pivoted at 84 for rocking in a vertical plane. At its rear end the lever is pivoted to alink 85, the upper end of which is similarly pivoted to a substantially horizontal lever 86. Thislever is pivotedat 8T and is rocked by a cam 88 on the shaft 65, which cam engages an anti-friction roller 89 on the lever. As the cam rotates the lever is depressed at its front end While the front end of the lever 83 is elevated, thus to raise the roller 1'! into frictional contact with the carrier 47. The force for lowering the roller and its yoke, is derived in part from gravity and in part from a tensioned spring 96, which spring also holds the roller 89 against its cam 88.

The carrier 41 is arrested at the end of each feeding movement with the filling apertures of the containers in register with the nozzles 43, and is held against movement during the filling operation. While it is thus held the feeding roller should be out of contact with it in order to avoid unnecessary strain and wear. Means, timed with the up and down movements of the roller 1?, is therefore provided for arresting and holding the carrier. Various means variously located could be employed for this purpose, but that shown is at present preferred. It comprises a series of shallow sockets in horizontal alinement along one side of the carrier sections and spaced apart the distance which the carrier is to be moved at a single feeding operation. That distance will depend upon the number of containers filled at one time which, in the structure shown, is six. Preferably, the sockets are in the front face of the carrier, one being shown at 9i in Figs. 5 and 8. Into these sockets a detent plunger 92 is adapted to snap whenever the carrier is moved until a socket registers with it. The plunger extends through the front track flange 46 and is guided near its outer end by a nut 93 which has a flange threaded into a hollow boss 94 on the track flange. The plunger is provided with a collar 95 between which and the inner face of the nut a compression spring 96, surrounding the plunger, is located for snapping the plunger into the socket. For withdrawing the plunger, its outer end is provided with a cam-engaging member 9?, a space being provided between and the guiding nut 93.

It is obvious that the carrier should be released at substantially the instant the roller I? contacts with it and that the plunger should snap into its socket at substantially the same time that the roller is lowered. Therefore, the operations of the plunger must be timed with the up and down movements of the roller. I therefore provide a means movable with the roller for controlling the plunger. This comprises an arm 98 on the forward end of the roller shaft it, said arm carrying a cam 99 at its outer end. The cam moves in a circle about the shaft 15 but is so positioned that it does not quite reach the member 5)? when the shaft is lowered and the feed roller is rotating idly. When, however, the said shaft is raised the cam ill enters the space behind the member 9'! and forces it outwardly, the cam being of a double-wedge shape, as shown in Fig. 9 with a fiat portion lilfl between the bases of the wedges. This flat portion holds the plunger out of the socket long enough to permit the roller to'move the carrier so that the socket is out of register with the plunger. Then the member 9! slides back along the rear inclined surface of the cam and the inner end of the plunger is thus brought into engagement with the carrier ready to snap into the next socket. The circumference of the roller I? is such that a number, say three, rotations are required for a single feeding operation.

. Thismeans that the cam will draw the plunger air from the latter as the liquid enters.

back from the carrier when there is no socket present for the plunger to enter. This, however, is an idle and unobjectionable feature of the operation. The plunger has only to clear the side of the carrier and its idle movements are very slight. Moreover, the rear or following side of the cam is inclined so that the plunger can move but slowly against the side of the carrier.

As will be understood, the lifting pins 5! and the feeding roller must be operated in timed relation so that the pins are fully depressed while the roller is in contact with the carrier. The cams 58 and 88 are relatively so'positioned as to secure this result.

In order to show the level of he liquid within the tank 39, the latter is provided with a conventional gauge Nil, as seen in Fig. 1.

To relieve the carrier of unnecessary friction, a roller 5 E2 is mounted on the track frame and is projected slightly above the track member :15 to support the carrier at its end opposite the feedroller Ti. To prevent the carrier section with which feed roller is engagin from lifting excessively when the feed roller is lifted, rollers Hi3 are provided for overhanging the upper side edges of the carrier sections, as best shown in Fig. 13. Preferably there are two of these rollers at each side of the carrier, being supported on brackets i9 3 from the flanges 56 of the track members substantially equidistant from the feed roller. These rollers 563 are preferably pressed downwardly by springs E55 which are compressed between the brackets and the axes of the rollers. This construction permits the carrier section to 7 lift slightly during the feeding operation whereby the weight of the carrier is supported upon the feed roller adjacent one of its ends and the antifriction roller 592 adjacent its other end.

It will, of course, be understood that the nozzles do not fit within the filling orifices of the container so closely as to prevent the escape of the Further, the backward motion of'the pistons causes a backward suction through the nozzles and thus draws the liquid away from the nozzles and prevents any objectionable dripping of the liquid.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a tank for liquids, means for supplying liquid to said tank, a plurality of pump cylinders connected with said tank and receiving liquid therefrom, a piston for and reciprocating in each of said cylinders, a liquid-carrying connection leading from each of said cylinders, a nozzle for and attached to each of said connections, means for simultaneously presenting an empty container to each of said nozzles, a member connecting all of said pistons through which they are reciprocated in their respective cylinders, a pitman connected with said member, a crank me her rotatable with said shaft, said member having a plurality of apertures therein at various distances from the shaft and the pitman having a corresponding plurality of apertures therein, and means for connecting the pitman to said crank member through the corresponding apertures in the pitman and crank member, the'arrangement of the apertures being such that the pistons will always begin their power strokes at the same point with reference to the respective cylinders and the length of said strokes will be varied in accordance with the aperture in the crank member through which the pitman is connected.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the pump cylinders are in horizontal alinement within the said tank with their axes in a substantially vertical plane and in which the member connecting the pistons is a horizontal bar which reciprocates vertically in the plane of said axes.

3. In a device of the character describeda plurality of alined nozzles, means for delivering liquid to and for forcing it through said nozzles, an elongated carrier having a plurality of sockets therein for holding containers to be filled with the liquid from said nozzles, a feed roller for intermittently feeding said carrier lengthwise to bring the containers therein into register with the said alined nozzles, means for locking the carrier at the end of its said feeding movement, means for lifting the containers within their sockets into position for receiving the liquid from the respective nozzles and for lowering them after they have been filled, said lifting and lowering operations taking place while the carrier is locked and means for unlocking the carrier prior to its next feeding movement.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for lifting the containers comprises a bar beneath the carrier, pins projecting from said bar and means for lifting the bar and causing the pins to engage the said containers to lift them in their respective sockets.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the feed roller is continuously rotated but is moved into and out of frictional engagement with the carrier and means timed with the movements of the said roller for controlling the operations of the said locking means.

6. In a device of the character described, a shaft and means for rotating it, a cam and a gearatta hed to said shaft, a feed shaft, a feed roller attached to said feed shaft, a pinion on the feed shaft, gearing connecting the gear on the first-mentioned shaft with the said pinion for rotating the feed roller, a nozzle, means for delivering a liquid to and for forcing it through said nozzle, a carrier for liquid containers below the said nozzle, a locking device engageable with said carrier for holding it against movement transverse to the nozzle, means operable by said cam for moving the rotating feed roller into and out of contact with the carrier, and means movable with said feed roller and engageable with the said locking device to move the said device out of engagement with the carrier as the feed roller is moved into engagement with the carrier, whereby the carrier may be fed, said last mentioned means then releasing the locking device to permit it to lock the carrier as the feed roller is moved out of contact with it.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which the gearing connecting the gear on the firstmentioned shaft and the pinion on the feed shaft comprises an intermediate shaft with a pair of gears meshing with the said gear and pinion, one of the gears of said pair being splined to the intermediate shaft, and a spring surrounding the latter shaft and pressing the gear toward the said pinion to hold the gear toward the said pinion to hold the gear and pinion in mesh as the latter moves with the feed roller.

8. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which the liquid is delivered to and is forced through the nozzle by a pump having a reciprocating piston, and means for moving the piston on its forcing stroke in timed relation With the feed roller,

whereby the liquid is pumped through the nozzle while the carrier is locked against movement and the feed roller is out of contact with it.

9. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which a plurality of alined nozzles are employed and in which the carrier moves an equal number of containers into position for simultaneously receiving liquid.

10. A device of the character described comprising an elongated tank for a liquid, means through which the liquid is delivered to said tank, a plurality of pump cylinders in alinement lengthwise of said tank, each of said cylinders projecting through the bottom of the tank and below said bottom, that part of the cylinders above the bottom being provided with apertures through which the liquid may flow into the part of the cylinder which is below the tank bottom, a plurality of nozzles in front of and above the tank bottom, there being one for each cylinder, a pipe connecting the lower end of each cylinder with the respective nozzle, said pipes extending upwardly alongside the tank and then turning downwardly to their respective nozzles, means for presenting an empty container to each of the nozzles, a piston for and reciprocable within each of said cylinders and means for reciprocating said pistons simultaneously to force the liquid from the cylinders into the said containers, said pistons and the means for presenting the containers to the nozzles being operated in timed relation, for the purpose specified.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10 in which the pipes connecting the cylinders with the respective nozzles are adjustable in length to vary the position of the nozzles in accordance with the height of the containers.

12. In a device of the character described, a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a gear and a cam secured to the shaft and turning therewith, a nozzle, means for delivering a liquid to and for forcing it through said nozzle, a carrier for containers, a track frame supporting and guiding said carrier beneath the said nozzle, the carrier being elongated and having a series of sockets therein for holding the containers and a series of pin sockets in one of its sides, a spring-pressed locking-pin mounted on the track frame adapted to snap into the last-mentioned sockets to lock the carrier to the frame, a feed-shaft below the trackframe, a feed roller and a pinion on said shaft, gearing connecting the said gear and pinion for rotating the feed-shaft, a yoke on the feed-shaft spanning the feed-roller thereon, means operated by said cam for causing the yoke to move up and down to carry the feed-roller into and out of contact with the carrier, and means for moving the locking pin out of its socket in the carrier as the feed roller moves toward the carrier and for permitting the pin to snap into the next succeeding pin-socket as the carrier is moved.

13. A device as set forth in claim 12 in which the means for moving the locking-pin out of its sockets comprises an arm secured to the feed shaft, a cam secured to said arm and moving in an orbit about the feed shaft, and means on the pin engageable by said cam when the feed shaft is lifted to bring the feed roller into contact with the carrier to draw the pin out of its socket and free the carrier for its feeding movement, the cam releasing the pin as soon as the carrier is moved and leaving it free to snap into the next succeeding pin socket.

14. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the pistons and the member through which they are operated are adjustably connected together so that the pistons are individually adjustable.

15. In a device of the character described, a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a gear and a cam secured to the shaft and turning therewith, 1

a plurality of alined nozzles, means for delivering a liquid to and for forcing it through said nozzles, a carrier for liquid containers, a track frame supporting and guiding said carrier beneath the said nozzles, the carrier being elongated and made up of end to end sections, means for detachably conmeeting said sections together, the carrier having a series of sockets in one of its sides, a springpressed locking-pin mounted on the track frame and adapted to snap into the last mentioned sockets to lock the carrier to the frame, means for retracting the locking pin to release the carrier when the containers thereon have been filled, means for moving the carrier longitudinally to present another series of containers to the nozzles for filling, and means for releasing the retracting means to permit the locking-pin again to lock the carrier.

SAMUEL SAETA. 

